Electric signaling apparatus.



Patented Aug. 28. I900. E. B. ELLICOTT & L. E. DEHRING.

ELECTRICAL SIGNALING APPARATUS.

(Application filed May 2. 1899.)

(Nu Model.)

Zwemiom, Edward B Ellie 022" was 0e Urrrmn T rea EDYVARD B. ELLICOTT AND LOUIS E. OEI-IRING, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AS- SIGNORS TO THE WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING APPARATUS.

SPEGIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 65 6,957, dated August 28, 1900.

Application filed May 2, 1899. Serial No. 715,281. (No model.)

To arZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, EDWARD B. ELLICOTT and LOUIS E. OEHRING, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electrical Signaling Apparatus, (Cases Nos. 8 and 5,) of which the followingis a full, clear, concise, and exact description Our invention relates to electrical signaling apparatus, and is designed particularly for application to fire-alarm-telegraph transmitters.

One object of our invention has been to im- I5 prove the structure of such apparatus by eliminating entirely all movable pivot-joints from the current-carrying parts, since such joints have been found objectionable, working loose, and thus introducing unnecessary 2o resistance into the circuit.

Our objects have been, further, to provide improved make-and-break mechanism and associated parts and, again, to provideimproved means for cutting the delicate make-andbreak contact mechanism from the circuit when the apparatus is at rest and cutting in to close the circuit a comparatively-massive short-circuiting switch which will not be injured by excessive current should the latter 3o accidentally find its way to the line.

Our invention will be described by reference to the accompanying drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is an elevation of ourimproved signaling apparatus, and Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views of portions thereof.

Similar letters of reference are used to designate the same parts wherever they are shown.

The contact-points a Z) form the terminals of the line-circuit, being connected with the line conductors a b by supplemental conductors a Z)", and a contact-spring c, operated as hereinafter set forth, serves to make and break the circuit between said contact-points as required in sending a signal over the line.

The contact-spring c is preferably U shaped,

as shown, and is mounted upon a lever 01, pivoted at (1/ to tho insulatingplate e, which lcver has a lug formed upon its outer end to be engaged by the teeth of a rotatable disk f. The latter is rotated by clockwork mechanism in the usual manner and may be notched or otherwise provided with any required number and arrangement of teeth or projections upon its periphery, according to the character of the signal which it is desired to transmit. As each tooth engages the lug upon the end of lever cl the latter is depressed, thus breaking the circuit at contactpoint a, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. It will be observed that each time the circuit is thus broken at contact a the end of the spring which engages contact I) does not remain stationary, but slides to and fro across the surface of said contact-point, thus effectually cleaning oif any dust or dirt which may have accumulated there. \Ve have found this to be an especially-valuable fea- 7o ture. 1

A bell-crank lever g is pivoted to the plate e, one arm whereof engages the lower end of the contact-spring c, and the other arm projects into the path of an arm h, rotated by the clockwork mechanism. As the latter reaches the end of its travel the arm it engages the bell-crank lever and actingthrough said lever serves to raise the lower end of contact-spring c from its seat upon contact-point 17, thereby 8o breaking the circuit through said spring and protecting it and its contacts from any accidental flow of heavy current. At the same time a short circuit is established between the line-terminals through the heavy-current switch presently to be described.

The clockwork mechanism is driven by a spring i, acting through the segmental gear 70. Upon an arm of the latter, but insulated therefrom, is mounted the heavy current short-circuiting piece 1, which is adapted when the gear-arm has reached the end of its travel to engage the jaws m 'm', which are preferably formed of copper laminae and are connected one with each of theline-terminals. 9 5 This effectively short-circuits the delicate signal-transmitting contacts when the device is not in use, thus protecting them from excessive currents, which may accidentally be 7 thrown upon the line. The switch-jaws m m roe may be mounted upon a portion of the framework of the apparatus, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 3.

It will be noted that nowhere in this device is current passed through any pivotal joint, so that danger of accidental interruption of the circuit by reason of the imperfections in i the contact-making parts is minimized.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, the following:

1. In an electrical signaling apparatus of the character described, the combination with a pair of line-circuitterminals having contacts associated therewith, of a contactrspring extending from one to the other and adapted to make and break electrical connection between them, means for normally maintaining said spring out of engagement with its coact ing contact a pivoted lever upon which said spring is mounted, and a rotating disk having teeth upon its periphery for engaging said lever and causing the same'to oscillate,Wh e1?e.-. by the condition of the circuit is altered at each oscillation of the lever,substantially as described.

2. In an electrical signaling apparatus of the character described, the combination with a pair of line-circuit terminals havingcontactpoints associated therewith, a U-shaped contact-spring, each arm whereof is adapted to engage one of said contact-points to complete the circuit between them through said sprin g, a rotating disk having teeth upon its periph cry, and a lever engaging with said teeth and with one arm of the spring, whereby such arm is caused to make and break the circuit between said terminals as the disk rotates, substantially as described.

3, In an electrical signaling apparatus. of the character described, thecombi'n 'ation with apairof line-circuit terminals having contact points associated therewith, a U-shaped, contact-spring, each arm whereof is, adapted to engageone of said contact-points to complete the circuit between them through said spring,

a rotating disk having teeth upon its periphcry and means for breaking the contact between o ne arm of said spring and its associated contact-point as each tooth upon said disk reaches a given position, substantially as described.

' 4. In an electrical signaling apparatus of the character described, the combination with a pair of line-circuit terminals having contactpoints associated therewith, a Ushaped contact-spring, each arm whereof is adapted to engage one of said contact-points to complete the circuit between them through said spring,

a rotating disk havingteeth upon its periphcry, a gear-train for rotating the said disk,

means for breaking the contact between said spring and one of said contact-points as the gear-train comes to, rest after transmitting a signal, and a heavy-current switch operated by'said gear-train adapted simultaneously to closea. short circuit between the line-terminals, substantially as described.

5,. In an electrical signaling apparatus, the combination with a pair of line-circuit terminals, of contact points associated therewith, a contact-spring extending from one contact-point to the other and adapted to make and break electrical connection between them, means for normally maintaining said spring out of engagement with its coacting contact a notched rotating disk and means for causing said disk as it rotates to break thecontact'between said spring and one of said contact-points, a gear-train for rotating said disk, and a heavy-current switch operated by said gear-train and adapted to, close a short circuitaround said con tact-points and spring asthedevice comes to rest after transe mitting a signal, substantially as described.

In witness whereof we hereunto subscribe ournames this/1th day of March, A. D. 1899.

EDWARD B. ELLIOO TI. LOUIS E OE HRING. Witnesses:

J B. PORTER, ERNEST P. WARNER. 

